Vocabulary · Basics
Dates in English
A2
Dates in English: asking for and giving the date (UK and US), yesterday, today and tomorrow, last week and next year, ago and in, and the times of day. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Asking for and giving the date
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| What's the date today?(phrase) | the usual question about the calendar day | /wɒts ðə deɪt təˈdeɪ/ |
| What's today's date?(phrase) | the usual question about the calendar day | /wɒts təˈdeɪz deɪt/ |
| It's the 15th of May(phrase)“UK format: day-month.” | the British way to give the date | /ɪts ðə ˌfɪfˈtiːnθ əv meɪ/ |
| It's May 15th(phrase)“US format: month-day.” | the American way to give the date | /ɪts meɪ ˌfɪfˈtiːnθ/ |
| 2026-05-15(format) | how you read this date aloud | /ðə ˌfɪfˈtiːnθ əv meɪ ˈtwenti ˌtwenti ˈsɪks/ |
Yesterday, today, tomorrow
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| today(adv.) | this day | /təˈdeɪ/ |
| yesterday(adv.) | the day before today | /ˈjestədeɪ/ |
| tomorrow(adv.)“One M, two R!” | the day after today | /təˈmɒrəʊ/ |
| the day before yesterday(phrase) | two days before today | /ðə deɪ bɪˈfɔː ˈjestədeɪ/ |
| the day after tomorrow(phrase) | two days after today | /ðə deɪ ˈɑːftə təˈmɒrəʊ/ |
Weeks, months and years
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| last week(phrase) | the week before this one | /lɑːst wiːk/ |
| this week(phrase) | the week we are in now | /ðɪs wiːk/ |
| next week(phrase) | the week after this one | /nekst wiːk/ |
| last month(phrase) | the month before this one | /lɑːst mʌnθ/ |
| this month(phrase) | the month we are in now | /ðɪs mʌnθ/ |
| next month(phrase) | the month after this one | /nekst mʌnθ/ |
| last year(phrase) | the year before this one | /lɑːst jɪə/ |
| this year(phrase) | the year we are in now | /ðɪs jɪə/ |
| next year(phrase) | the year after this one | /nekst jɪə/ |
Ago and in
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| two days ago(phrase)“Ago = for the past, after the number.” | two days before now | /tuː deɪz əˈɡəʊ/ |
| a week ago(phrase) | seven days before now | /ə wiːk əˈɡəʊ/ |
| a year ago(phrase) | twelve months before now | /ə jɪə əˈɡəʊ/ |
| in two days(phrase)“In = for the future.” | two days from now | /ɪn tuː deɪz/ |
| in a week(phrase) | seven days from now | /ɪn ə wiːk/ |
| in a year(phrase) | twelve months from now | /ɪn ə jɪə/ |
Times of day
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| morning(n.)“In the morning.” | the early part of the day, before 12 | /ˈmɔːnɪŋ/ |
| afternoon(n.)“In the afternoon.” | the time from 12 to about 6 pm | /ˌɑːftəˈnuːn/ |
| evening(n.)“In the evening.” | the end of the day, before bed | /ˈiːvnɪŋ/ |
| night(n.)“AT night (not in).” | the dark time when people sleep | /naɪt/ |
| noon / midday(n.) | 12 o'clock in the day | /nuːn/ |
| midnight(n.) | 12 o'clock at night | /ˈmɪdnaɪt/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
04/05: 4 May or 5 April?
UK: day/month/year (15/05/2026 is 15 May). US: month/day/year (05/15/2026 is 15 May). This often causes mistakes: 04/05 can mean 4 May or 5 April. Write the month in letters to be sure.
Before two days ❌: say two days ago
Ago is for the past and comes after the time: two days ago. In is for the future and comes before the time: in two days. Before two days and after two days are common mistakes.
In night ❌: say at night
Say in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. But say at night, not in night. Use at with exact times too: at noon, at midnight.
Tommorow ❌: one m, two rs
The spelling of tomorrow is tricky: one m, two rs. Tommorow and tomorow are common mistakes. Learn it by heart!
Practice quiz
Related pages: Dates
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Dates” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say the date in English?+
In British English, the day comes first: the 15th of May 2026. In American English, the month comes first: May 15th, 2026. When you speak, use ordinal numbers: 15th is fifteenth. In numbers, write 15/05/2026 (UK) or 05/15/2026 (US).
What is the difference between ago and in?+
Ago is for the past and comes after the time: two days ago. In is for the future and comes before the time: in two days. So the word order is different: ago at the end, in at the start.
Which preposition do you use with morning, afternoon and night?+
Say in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, with the. But say at night, with a different preposition and no the. Use at with exact times too: at noon, at midnight, at lunchtime.
How do you spell tomorrow?+
Tomorrow has one m, two rs and an o in the middle. Common mistakes are tommorow (two ms) and tomorow (one r). Other tricky spellings: opposite, beginning, accommodation.
What do you call the day before yesterday in English?+
English has no single word for it. Say the day before yesterday (two days ago) and the day after tomorrow (in two days). Always use the full phrase.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/dates
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.